Robert Ross a Hero or a Coward (rough 2) Was Robert Ross a hero? That seems to be the question many desire the answer to. Before answering such a question, one needs to wonder about what really constitutes the definition of a hero? The answer is so subjective, as the definition of a hero is truly dependent on one's experiences, knowledge, and possible contact with main stream media. According to Google a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (hero definition - Google Search). Robert Ross was a young man who ran away from home after the death of his sick sister. He ran away to fight in a war he did not even believe in. I believe that Robert was not a hero for many reasons,
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This was shown in the novel when he met Taffler and wanted to become like him because he saw him as a ‘real man’ or ‘war hero’. “Taffler was a hero. He’d already been to France – wounded and returned to Canada. He had also been a Varsity all-round athlete, though this was before Robert’s time and therefore Taffler’s face was not familiar to him. His name, however was credential enough” (Findley 29). This was when Robert met Taffler, and realized that Taffler was his role model. This in my opinion validates that Robert was not a hero. How can Robert be a hero if he had to look to someone else to learn how to be a man? This surely shows how Robert did not even know his own self, let alone be considered a …show more content…
He showed some courage throughout the novel, however, when it really came down to it, he was just a coward. This is solely for the reason that he did not have the strength or qualities of a hero to achieve greatness. “all he wanted was a dream. Escape. But nobody dreams on the battle field” (Findley 91). In a war, it is very hard for a soldier to sleep, with the constant noise and fear of being killed. What Robert was wishing for was not only to sleep but dream, as he explained a dream is an escape, something to dream about happening after the war. Like always, Robert was looking for an escape, it did not matter for how long, he just needed an escape from the war. This was because when circumstances get tough, Robert was never strong enough to stick around, he runs. When life got hard at home with his sister Rowena’s death, he ran to the war; later when the war got tough, he tore his lapels off and ran from that too. “then he tore his lapels from his uniform and left the battlefield” (Findley 184). The problem is that Robert was a runner, and how could one be a hero if all he does is run away from his problems like a toddler. This truly reveals Robert's character as the coward that he
This was shown in the novel when he met Taffler and wanted to become like him because he saw him as a ‘real man’ or ‘war hero’. “Taffler was a hero. He’d already been to France – wounded and returned to Canada. He had also been a Varsity all-round athlete, though this was before Robert’s time and therefore Taffler’s face was not familiar to him. His name, however was credential enough” (Findley 29). This was when Robert met Taffler, and realized that Taffler was his role model. This in my opinion validates that Robert was not a hero. How can Robert be a hero if he had to look to someone else to learn how to be a man? This surely shows how Robert did not even know his own self, let alone be considered a …show more content…
He showed some courage throughout the novel, however, when it really came down to it, he was just a coward. This is solely for the reason that he did not have the strength or qualities of a hero to achieve greatness. “all he wanted was a dream. Escape. But nobody dreams on the battle field” (Findley 91). In a war, it is very hard for a soldier to sleep, with the constant noise and fear of being killed. What Robert was wishing for was not only to sleep but dream, as he explained a dream is an escape, something to dream about happening after the war. Like always, Robert was looking for an escape, it did not matter for how long, he just needed an escape from the war. This was because when circumstances get tough, Robert was never strong enough to stick around, he runs. When life got hard at home with his sister Rowena’s death, he ran to the war; later when the war got tough, he tore his lapels off and ran from that too. “then he tore his lapels from his uniform and left the battlefield” (Findley 184). The problem is that Robert was a runner, and how could one be a hero if all he does is run away from his problems like a toddler. This truly reveals Robert's character as the coward that he